Known CCTV systems for surveillance applications typically include plural video cameras disposed at locations of interest and a connection apparatus having a so-called “back panel” with input connectors in number corresponding to the plurality of video cameras. Cables extending from the video cameras are terminated with a so-called “BNC” jack connector and the back panel input connectors are BNC socket connectors each receiving one of the cable jack connectors.
In one type of known CCTV systems for surveillance application, the BNC socket connectors are in turn individually connected by discrete wiring to input terminals of an electronic signal processing circuit (typically a printed circuit board (PCB)) which processes the camera video signals. Output terminals of the electronic processing circuit are connected by further discrete wiring to back panel output connectors.
The above-described type of known CCTV system presents great difficulties where the need for repair arises with respect to the electronic signal processing circuit thereof, i.e., the need for correction of a fault occurring therein. Thus, in order to remove the PCB for testing, all of the discrete wire connections (input and output) to the PCB need to be separated, and all of the wires and PCB connectors need to be suitably identified for subsequent reconnection.
In a second known type of CCTV system for article surveillance, the foregoing repair difficulties are overcome by providing a separable connection within the connection apparatus. In this type of connection apparatus, the electronic signal processing circuit is provided in the form of a plurality of PCBs each having a card edge male connection part. The discrete wiring from the back panel input and output connectors terminates at a plurality of card edge receiving connectors. Where repair of a PCB is required, the PCB is simply removed from its connector so that disconnection of discrete wiring between the back panel connectors and the card edge receiving connectors is not necessary.
While the second described type of connection apparatus thus has an advantage over the first described connection apparatus type, both types, and all other known CCTV connection apparatus, have a common failing, as will be described in the following discussion.
In all known CCTV system connection apparatus, the back panel includes a rectangular member having minimum x and y dimensions dictated by the number of input/output connectors. The rectangular member is supported at the rear of an open parallelepiped housing extending along the z-axis. The discrete wiring extends along the z-axis to the electronic signal processing circuit (or to the card edge connectors in the second above-discussed apparatus). The electronic signal processing circuit likewise extends along the z-axis.
From applicant's perspective, known CCTV connection apparatus, being dictated by the geometry above discussed, does not address the trend toward more and more participating cameras (more and more back plane connectors and xy area) and the ever diminishing size of electronic signal processing circuitry. Rather, the present undesired volume of connection apparatus (monitoring station real estate being presently excessive) is seen as only likely to further spiral.